Systems and devices for sampling and profiling microbiota of skin

• US 9,186,278 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Baym, Michael H., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., McKnight, Gary L., Pan, Tony S., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US14/091,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20150148705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0064 for taking sweat or sebum samples measuring sweat production A61B5/4266
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/02 Instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; needle locating or guiding means A61B17/3403; samplers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/26; sampling or preparing biological specimens G01N33/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0003 including means for analysis by an unskilled person
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0208 Biopsy devices with actuators, e.g. with triggered spring mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0225 for taking multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3941 Photoluminescent markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3975 active
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/04 Constructional details of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1477 non-invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/443 Evaluating skin constituents, e.g. elastin, melanin, water
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/15 Absorbent pads, e.g. sanitary towels, swabs or tampons for external or internal application to the body non-absorbent catamenial receptacles A61F5/44; Supporting or fastening means therefor; Tampon applicators
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/04 Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor C12Q1/6897 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/20 Dermatological disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/52 Predicting or monitoring the response to treatment, e.g. for selection of therapy based on assay results in personalised medicine; Prognosis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/56911 Bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/56938 : Staphylococcus

Abstract

Systems and devices for sampling and profiling microbiota of skin are described which include a replaceable microbe sampling unit including at least one rotatable component, an elongated flexible strip, and a location information storage component, the elongated flexible strip including a microbe-capture region configured to capture at least one type of microbe from one or more regions of a skin surface of an individual, and the location information storage component configured to store information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual.

Claims

1. A microbe profiling system comprising:

a replaceable microbe sampling unit including

a housing defining an opening, the housing including

at least one rotatable component at least partially disposed in the opening defined by the housing;

an elongated flexible strip disposed on an outer surface of the at least one rotatable component, an outer surface of the elongated flexible strip positioned to contact one or more regions of a skin surface of an individual through the opening defined by the housing, the outer surface of the elongated flexible strip including a microbe-capture region, the microbe-capture region configured to capture at least one type of microbe from said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; and

a location information storage component configured to store information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual; and

an analyzer including

a receiving region sized to accept the replaceable microbe sampling unit;

a motor operably coupled to the at least one rotatable component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit, the motor including circuitry to drive rotation of the at least one rotatable component;

at least one sensor component including circuitry configured to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region of the elongated flexible strip of the replaceable microbe sampling unit and to transform the detected one or more signals into a sensor output including information associated with at least one property of the detected one or more signals; and

at least one location information reader including circuitry to read the information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual from the location information storage component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit and to transform the information into a location output.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the microbe-capture region comprises at least one of an adhesive, an absorbent, or an adsorbent.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the microbe-capture region comprises a biomolecule-binding polymer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the microbe-capture region comprises a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements comprises a specific microbe-binding antibody.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of specific microbe-binding elements comprises a specific microbe-binding oligonucleotide.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the microbe-capture region comprises a plurality of signal-generating complexes.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of signal-generating complexes comprises at least one signal-generating element operably coupled to at least one specific microbe-binding element, the at least one signal-generating element configured to emit one or more signals in response to contact with at least one type of microbe by the operably coupled at least one specific microbe-binding element.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information storage component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit comprises an electronic location information storage component.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information storage component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit comprises computer readable media.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information storage component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit includes a transmitter with circuitry configured to transmit the information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information storage component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit is part of the elongated flexible strip.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the location information storage component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit comprises at least one mark on the elongated flexible strip, the at least one mark including information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the replaceable microbe sampling unit comprises a cassette including the at least one rotatable component, the elongated flexible strip, and the location information storage component.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor component of the analyzer includes circuitry configured to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region of the replaceable microbe sampling unit.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor component of the analyzer includes circuitry configured to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from at least one of a plurality of signal-generating elements associated with at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region of the replaceable microbe sampling unit.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor component of the analyzer includes circuitry configured to detect one or more signal emitted from at least one of a plurality of signal-generating complexes associated with the substrate of the replaceable microbe sampling unit in response to contact with at least one type of microbe.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer includes a plurality of at least one type of signal-generating element.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one location information reader of the analyzer includes at least one of an optical reader, an RFID tag reader, an electronic reader, or a magnetic reader.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a computing device including a processor, the computing device operably coupled to the analyzer, and including circuitry to

receive the location output from the analyzer, the location output including information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual;

receive the sensor output from the analyzer, the sensor output including the information associated with the at least one property of the detected one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region;

compare the at least one property of the one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region with a database of reference signal properties;

generate an alignment of the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with the detected one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region;

generate a microbe profile based on the alignment, the microbe profile including a spatial distribution of at least one type of microbe on the skin surface of the individual; and

report the microbe profile to a user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the computing device includes circuitry configured to

identify at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region from said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual based on the comparison of the at least one property of the detected one or more signals from the at least one type of microbe with the database of reference microbe signal properties;

and

report to the user an identity of the at least one type of microbe.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the computing device includes circuitry configured to

generate a recommended treatment regimen based on at least one of the spatial distribution or the identity of the at least one type of microbe on the skin surface of the individual;

and

report to the user the recommended treatment regimen.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the computing device includes circuitry configured to

compare the microbe profile with a reference microbe profile;

generate a recommended treatment regimen for the individual based on the comparison; and

report the recommended treatment regimen to the user.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the computing device and the analyzer are part of a kiosk.

25. The system of claim 1, further comprising

a microbe sampling device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the microbe sampling device includes

a hand-held housing defining an opening and including

a region sized for receiving the replaceable microbe sampling unit, the region configured to align at least a portion of the opening defined by the housing of the replaceable microbe sampling unit with the opening defined by the hand-held housing;

a motor operably coupled to the at least one rotatable component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit, the motor including circuitry to drive rotation of the at least one rotatable component; and

a location-capture component including circuitry to determine a location of one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual as the microbe-capture region of the replaceable microbe sampling unit contacts said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual and to output information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface to the location information storage component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the microbe sampling device further comprises a marking means including circuitry configured to receive the location information from the location-capture component and to deposit at least one mark on the elongated flexible strip of the replaceable microbe sampling unit, the at least one mark representative of the information associated with the location of one or more regions on the skin surface of the individual.

28. A microbe sampling unit comprising:

a housing defining an opening, the housing including

at least one rotatable component at least partially disposed in the opening defined by said housing;

an elongated flexible strip disposed on an outer surface of the at least one rotatable component, the outer surface of the elongated flexible strip including a microbe-capture region, the microbe-capture region configured to capture at least one type of microbe from one or more regions of a skin surface of an individual; and

a location information storage component configured to store information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the microbe-capture region comprises a plurality of specific-microbe binding elements.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein the elongated flexible strip comprises a plurality of signal-generating complexes.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the location information storage component comprises machine readable media.

32. A microbe profiling system comprising:

an analyzer including

a receiving region sized to accept a replaceable microbe sampling unit, the replaceable microbe sampling unit including at least one rotatable component, an elongated flexible strip disposed on an outer surface of the at least one rotatable component and including a microbe-capture region to capture at least one type of microbe from one or more regions of a skin surface of an individual, and a location information storage component including information associated with a location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual;

a motor operably coupled to the at least one rotatable component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit, the motor including circuitry to drive rotation of the at least one rotatable component;

at least one sensor component including circuitry configured to detect one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region of the elongated flexible strip of the replaceable microbe sampling unit and to transform the detected one or more signals into a sensor output including information associated with at least one property of the detected one or more signals; and

at least one location information reader including circuitry to read the information associated with the location of the one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual from the location information storage component of the replaceable microbe sampling unit and to transform the information into a location output;

a computing device including a processor, the computing device operably coupled to the analyzer; and

non-transitory machine readable media bearing one or more instructions for generating a microbe profile, the one or more instructions including

one or more instructions for receiving the location output from the analyzer, the location output including information associated with the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual;

one or more instructions for receiving the sensor output from the analyzer, the sensor output including information associated with the at least one property of the detected one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region of the replaceable microbe sampling unit;

one or more instructions for comparing the at least one property of the detected one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region of the replaceable microbe sampling unit with a database of reference signal properties;

one or more instructions for identifying the at least one type of microbe captured on the microbe-capture region of the replaceable microbe sampling unit based on the comparison of the at least one property of the detected one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region of the replaceable microbe sampling unit with the database of reference signal properties;

one or more instructions for generating an alignment of the location of said one or more regions of the skin surface of the individual with the detected one or more signals emitted or reflected from the microbe-capture region;

one or more instructions for generating the microbe profile based on the alignment, the microbe profile including at least one of an identity or a spatial distribution of the at least one type of microbe on the skin surface of the individual; and

one or more instructions for reporting the microbe profile to a user.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the one or more instructions include one or more instructions for generating a recommended treatment regimen based on a comparison of the microbe profile with a reference microbe profile;

and one or more instructions for reporting the recommended treatment regimen to the user.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

a replaceable microbe sampling unit.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

a microbe sampling device.